Charm in War
by Crazy4YuYuHakusho
Summary: Sequel to Sweetheart and Enemy :: While training and taking the time to discover her true origins, Hatsune encounters the reason for turmoil in the Makai. KuramaxOCxYusuke
1. Books

**Charm in War**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho albeit I do own Hatsune, Kuraiya, Rahvanna, the entire Maiyugubi and Nittanuya clans and whatever else isn't YYH related.

Summary: Sequel to _Sweetheart and Enemy_. While training and taking the time to discover her true origins, Hatsune encounters the reason for turmoil in the Makai. KuramaxOCxYusuke

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**Quick Author's Note:** This story will be like the last chapter of S&E- third person POV overall with first person (Hatsune's) POV flashbacks and insights. = ] Enjoy.

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**Chapter One: Books**

* * *

"Why is a Maiyugubi mage of your standard aligned with a demon and his reign?" asked the tall and temporarily powerless mage. Talismans were bound to his wrists which limited his power and revealed it at the same time.

"Why is a Maiyugubi mage of your _lower_ standard walking into demon territory and questioning me?" Hatsune asked him in return as she stared him straight into his veiled face. She waited for his response, but it was cut short by Yusuke's distant yelling. "Shall I take you to get acquainted with the ruler of the region?"

Still staring down at her, he shook his head. "We will meet again." He turned on his feet and both he and the other mage walked back into the forest as Yusuke sauntered over in time to catch the last few seconds of their appearance.

"So, what was that about?" he asked her, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Wouldn't worry too much about it, Yusuke. Just some mid-leveled mage asking me of my business here. You scared him off apparently- be happy." She looked at him with a smile dancing on her lips.

Usually he returned the smile, but Yusuke was nothing short of serious today- those mages weren't the first uninvited guests today. A few random forest visitors ventured into the land and tried to cause some minor damage. As Yusuke told the short story, they took a few steps and the monks in training took care of them.

"Well, while you won't be seeing those low lives again, we'll be seeing those mages again." Hatsune turned on her heel and walked away from the edge of the territory. She had a book on her mind that she needed to read- one that Koenma had given her before she left.

In her room, she flipped through the pages of the old and mildly dusty book that Koenma had pulled from one of the oldest shelves in the great Reikai library. Titled _Mages of Makai_, she knew why Koenma gave it to her. First it was the gem from Kurama and now the book from Koenma. To top it off, a visit from the mages themselves made her more curious about the particular clan that she had her own origins tied to. Reading deeper into their known history, Hatsune came across the hierarchy of the predominantly matriarchal society. For many years, the Maiyugubi mages were led by a small group of four male elders. In their nearer recent history, one female elder broke the matriarchal ways and was admitted as a ruling body- Anta was her name.

She flipped through a few more pages and came across the standard powers of their kind, More specialized spells and attacks were listed, but there were a few that were specific to people- like the elders. There wasn't very much detail, but just enough to suggest a great deal of power the elders held.

Restraints and such were a few pages later. Talismans were popular and rather common. A talisman told many things about a mage- power level, sometimes age by the color of the script (though the majority of the script was in black which left age as a mystery), and certain tricks of the person. Paper talismans worked only for lower or mid-leveled mages. Charms were for the more skilled and experienced spell casters, but the strongest of the clan wore restraints made from the finest elements one could find in the Makai. They were supposed to be charmed while being made specifically for that one person- that was the highest level of restriction that could be used, and even then not all powers would be suppressed.

Hatsune knew the two mages that visited her today were lower to mid-leveled. While she didn't know the extent of her own strength, she knew all too well that it took more than paper talismans to restrain her full power.

Sighing, she closed the book and set it back on her small shelf. She stared into the light that resonated from the desk lamp and fell into a rather deep train of thought.

* * *

_"Make sure none of you lose those. They are vital for exchange of information and for me contacting you in an easier manner. Now, carry on," Koenma said as he tried to shoo all of us out of his office and on our way to the Makai. "Hatsune, you wait."_

_I stopped walking and stood there as everyone left the massive office. I waited for the doors to close before attempting to ask why I was being held back. Before I could ask, Koenma led me down a hall and took a few turns before opening a door into the massive Reikai library._

_I was amazed at all the books in there. I think there was a book about everything and possibly everyone, which was cool and freaky at the same time. I was lead into a very dimly lit part of the library. It must not have been visited or cleaned regularly since the lights didn't work well and it was coated in layers of dark dust. _

_Koenma picked up a book and patted it so that the obvious dust came off. He gave it to me and looked me dead in the eye as he told me why I was getting it._

_"This is a book on all known and now extinct mage clans in the Makai. It's a self-written book, so don't be surprised if it gets a little bigger on you. It records every major even that goes on with them. So far, there are only two prevalent and active groups- the Maiyugubi and the Nittanuya. Educate yourself just in case one or both groups come searching for you. Do. Not. Lose. This. Book. Do you understand?"_

_I simply nodded yes as I took the book and was led out of the endless shelves of books._

* * *

She blinked a few times as she leaned back into her chair and broke her thought process. The wall could have had a hole burned into it since she was staring at it with such intensity. All that information was on her mind, but she wasn't finding anything else out. She met two mages- that was it. It was beginning to get on her nerves. She was growing impatient and slightly impulsive yet she knew better than to act on those.

"_I have spent too much time with Yusuke,_" she thought. She stood up and turned toward the door to walk out, but she ran into Yusuke with only her first step taken. She jumped back from the shock that she just thought and he was there.

"_Speak of the devil…"_

"Hey, chill," he started off, his hand up in mock defense, "just came over here to ask to ask if you were gonna sit in on the meeting."

She looked at him like she knew nothing. "Meeting? What meeting?"

"It just came up. Apparently you scared the hell out of Yomi and his advisory council so bad to the point that they wanna see what caused the sudden black out."

"Yeah, whatever," she replied. She followed him out and into one of the more intricate room of the land. It was technologically advanced- not the best in the demon realm, but it was close.

Hokushin waited until Yusuke and Hatsune arrived before he cued on of the monks to begin the process of connecting all the circuits for everything to work. The three of them took a seat at the end of the short table- Yusuke at the head, Hokushin to his left and Hatsune to his right.

On the screen before them, Yomi and his advisors appeared- Kurama included. With everyone situated and ready for a brief discussion, Yomi led the introduction.

"Ah, Yusuke, I see I get to interact with the rookie. Daddy too busy to talk?"

Yusuke just smirked. "Yeah, I guess it's time for me to play with the big dogs since he's busy and all. You know the whole not eating thing takes a lot more time than ya think."

With both of the opening statements out of the way, one of Yomi's advisors, Yuda, asked the question that was on eveyone's mind- at their end, anyway.

"Who is the person who caused such uproar in the entire Makai?"

Yusuke pointed to Hatsune as she barely raised her left hand off the table. She just stared blankly at the screen awaiting a barrage of questions. Yuda smiled as three others laughed. They couldn't believe that a young girl of such small stature could cause such a disruption.

"Is this some joke?" asked the advisor that appeared to be more of a clown than a demon. The demon smiled, lips wryly stretched, enhancing the clown look.

"No joke. Problem?" Hatsune asked him. She stared him dead in the eye since he had the nerve to voice the question. He stopped laughing and was about to counter when he was silently silenced by Yomi.

"You'll have to excuse them- they aren't well versed in etiquette. So, how is it that you are the sole source of that?" Yomi asked Hatsune.

She blinked a few times and shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't gotten around to figuring it out yet."

The three of them could see the look on the faces of the advisors save Kurama. His expression was and remained stoic. The others were shocked that a girl with extraordinary powers had no clue how to conjure them.

Another surprise came about as the doors behind the trio were thrust open with a strong current. The two mages that were there earlier today had returned for an early next visit. Hokushin was the first out of his seat and he was a little on the livid side, not that it showed much.

Yusuke turned and looked at the cloaked figures. "Damn you guys are persistent," he said as he stood up and walked over to them. Hatsune turned to face them, but she didn't move from her seat just yet.

"You are not who we seek," the tall mage stated sharply to Yusuke.

"Yeah, yeah, I know why your ugly self is here."

"How professional," Hatsune mumbled. She finally stood and closed the distance standing only a few inches from the mage. "So, we meet again… What do you want?"

"Your attendance is required at the Maiyugubi Elders' Council."

"And, if I refuse?"

"I will drag you there myself."

Hatsune crossed her arms across her chest and just stared at him. Her eyes gave off the luminous green-yellow glow as a monk ran in from the outside. He was slightly out of breath from running so fast, but he managed to spit out what he needed to report. "Dark outside… It's getting dark outside."

"Have fun trying to drag me there," Hatsune said to the mage as she let him know that it would probably be an impossible task for him.

On the other side of the screen, Yomi and his advisory council were getting tidbits of information that would otherwise not be released- not in a willing manner, not yet. None of them said anything and the trio were currently occupied with the intruder.

"It would be my pleasure to escort your temporarily unconscious body," said the elevated mid-leveled spell caster as he disabled the paper talismans on his wrists, both of them falling to the floor.

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**Author's Note:** And, here's the sequel! Yea. Okay, so this story will be updated slowly since I'll be leaving for college in less than a week. I'm typing ahead so I don't keep everyone in the dark for a month or more, Heaven forbid. Let me know what you think as I type away! R&R


	2. The Council

**Charm in War**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho albeit I do own Hatsune, Kuraiya, Rahvanna, the entire Maiyugubi and Nittanuya clans and whatever else isn't YYH related.

Summary: Sequel to _Sweetheart and Enemy_. While training and taking the time to discover her true origins, Hatsune encounters the reason for turmoil in the Makai. KuramaxOCxYusuke

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Council**

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"Have fun trying to drag me there," Hatsune said to the mage as she let him know that it would probably be an impossible task for him.

On the other side of the screen, Yomi and his advisory council were getting tidbits of information that would otherwise not be released- not in a willing manner, not yet. None of them said anything and the trio were currently occupied with the intruder.

"It would be my pleasure to escort your temporarily unconscious body," said the elevated mid-leveled spell caster as he disabled the paper talismans on his wrists, both of them falling to the floor.

A smile slowly crept up on her face as she continued to stare the hand down. Waiting for him to do something, she looked over to Hokushin and Yusuke briefly. Both were ready to do something- what it was, well, no one was sure since they weren't aware of the mage's capabilities.

The mage suddenly grabbed Hatsune's wrist and pulled her a little closer. Within a second or two both of them disappeared and the looks on everyone's face in the room went from stoic or pissed to utter shock.

"What the hell just happened?" Yusuke yelled as he looked around the room.

The monk who ran into the room to inform the leaders about the weather stated the obvious, which earned a harsh look from Yusuke and a brief verbal lashing from Hokushin. He left the room immediately. Hokushin returned his attention back to the screen and spoke to Yomi and his group of advisors.

"I'm sorry, but we will have to continue this another time." The screen shut off and his attention was now directed to Yusuke. "What do we do now?"

Yusuke, frustrated as hell, thought short and hard about the deep inquiry. He didn't know what to do and even if he had a game plan, he wasn't sure how to carry it out because he had no clue where the hell she went. He was screwed at the moment. "I don't know, Hokushin, but standing around here isn't gonna accomplish anything. I say let's look; I mean, they gotta be somewhere, right?"

Hokushin showed his agreement with Yusuke and they ran outside to quickly make four groups to go search for Hatsune and the mage bastard that disappeared. Two groups were to report to Hokushin and the other two to Yusuke. They would search until dusk and pick up as soon as they could see something. The last thing the two leading hands needed was more missing people from their land.

* * *

Ungracefully hitting the ground, Hatsune finally caught her breath. She looked at her unfamiliar surroundings. It was bright and there was lovely vegetation about the area. The ground was hard and cold but the air was warm which sent a small chill down her spine. The new area had made her slightly nervous- she had absolutely no clue where she was.

She looked up at the mage who stole her from the conference room in Tourin. He just stood there, probably waiting for her to get up and follow him to wherever. Brushing herself off, she shot a glare his way.

"Didn't I tell you I'd be more than happy to escort you?" he asked her in a rather cocky manner.

"You said unconscious body. I was conscious, just shocked."

"It doesn't matter now. Follow me; they are waiting for you."

He took off, taking long strides as he walked. She ran after him until she caught up. Her legs weren't nearly as long as his, so her extra effort was much needed and would be a toll on her by the time she arrived wherever the meeting was. Minutes later, she beheld a rather large and intricate building. Its deep grey color and white and black accents made it seem like a mausoleum. Creaking sounded as the door opened itself to allow the two guests in.

"What is this place?" she asked him.

"This is where the Council of the Elders resides. It is the oldest and best defended building in our land."

The silence corridor echoed his words over and over until another sound cut it off and took over- another door squeaked. They took stairs up to the next floor and made a right all the way down to the end of the hall. He stopped right in front of the door and knocked- waiting for the signal to enter.

"Come in," said a voice behind the door. It was deep, slightly raspy and low.

He opened the door and waited for Hatsune to walk in first. She did so and only entered the room by a few feet. The mage barely stepped in through the threshold before she door shut itself behind the two.

"Thank you, Tatsuza. You may leave now," whispered the same voice both heard a few seconds ago.

Without word or sound, he vanished and Hatsune just stared at the three elders before her. All three were male and there was an empty seat next to one of them. They were clad in all black cloaks, but each had a different charm hanging off a piece of cloth that was draped over their left shoulder. One had a dark blue and cerulean wave, another had a bright green leaf and the last one had a candle apple red and white accented flame. The empty seat had the dark cloth laid on it and the charm lay atop the pile; it was a lightning blot with a single stream of wind with white and lavender accents wrapped around it. The lightning bolt was not the normal yellow that she saw in the human world. Here it was black.

The elder with the flame motioned for her to sit in front of them. A small pillow-like pad was before them. She walked to it and took a seat, waiting for one of them to speak. She looked about in the silence that struck her lightly. Wondering when the ball would start rolling, she looked out the only window in the room. It wasn't very bright outside anymore; dim described the outside environment.

"My dear, how much do you know about us?" the man with the leaf questioned.

"Just what has been printed and kept in the Reikai library."

"How much do you know about yourself and your capabilities?" he asked.

She didn't have to think long to answer honestly. "Not that much."

The three men looked at one another and nodded in some unknown confirmation. The water charm bearer stood and walked over to the empty seat where he picked up the pile and walked to Hatsune.

"We have seen your control of the weather," he began as he gave her the cloth. "We are not dreadfully concerned since you have some method of controlling it, but in order to gain full access to your unaware powers, we would like you to train here and learn more about yourself and why you have the powers you have. Demons can only teach you so much; we can teach you more, so much more."

She looked at the cloth and to him, giving him the weird stare. "Does that training include why I'm getting the cloth of an elder?"

"It does. But, if you read the published history of us, then you should know who this belongs to and why you have it now."

She looked back down at the cloak. What he said was true, but for some reason she couldn't place it at the moment. She hadn't completed reading the entire book, so she was left in the dark for the moment. She though back to the style of government and tried to think of the Council of Four and its Leaders. Mamoru held the leaf, Roka possessed the water and Kishio contained the flame… Raida controlled the weather and, if provoked or threatened, she would send shocks to her enemies.

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Author's Note: Yee, so here's the end of this chapter. I honestly cannot say when chapter three will be up, but I will do my best to make it before the end of the month. So, until nex time! R&R


	3. Fallen Lines

**Charm in War**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho albeit I do own Hatsune, Kuraiya, Rahvanna, the entire Maiyugubi and Nittanuya clans and whatever else isn't YYH related.

Summary: Sequel to _Sweetheart and Enemy_. While training and taking the time to discover her true origins, Hatsune encounters the reason for turmoil in the Makai. KuramaxOCxYusuke

**Chapter Three: Fallen Lines**

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She looked back down at the cloak. What he said was true, but for some reason she couldn't place it at the moment. She hadn't completed reading the entire book, so she was left in the dark for the moment. She though back to the style of government and tried to think of the Council of Four and its Leaders. Mamoru held the leaf, Roka possessed the water and Kishio contained the flame… Raida controlled the weather and, if provoked or threatened, she would send shocks to her enemies.

"Take the cloth with you back to the demon reign and think about it. Tatsuza will be back in one week for your answer," Mamoru said to her.

Hatsune nodded and as she stood she felt a mild dissociation with her body as she randomly transported back to Tourin. Her ungraceful landing did not surprise her as she met the ground. Brushing herself and the cloak off, she walked into the large and plain exterior building. Immediately, annoying yells assaulted her ears. She knew who it was, but not just what it was about.

She walked back into the room where she vanished from and Yusuke was yelling at the screen. It was Koenma and he appeared to be giving Yusuke a verbal beating. Kuwabara was in the background with Botan working on a few things and adding to the noise that Koenma was creating.

"Miss me?" Hatsune said as she announced herself.

Yusuke whipped around and Hokushin merely looked up. Neither seemed too excited about her entrance. Koenma was more at peace, but he continued to assault Yusuke about 'losing' her and all that stuff.

"I'm fine; thanks for asking. I'll be elsewhere if you need me," Hatsune said plainly as she left the out of control room and sought refuge in her own.

As soon as she got in, she closed the door and plopped onto her bed. She looked at the cloak and held it up to her. Walking to the mirror, she imagined herself in it- what it would be like to train and thus accept the responsibility of her powers and whatever else she didn't know about. She didn't recognize the person she saw in the mirror. The cloak made her ambiguous and very unknown. For curiosity, she threw it on and from head to toe; she was dressed in black, the little thunder bolt dangling from the one side. Adjusting the veil, she was still able to see everything around her, but she had the feeling that no one could see in- her face was shielded, unreadable.

"My God," she whispered.

"Yeah, what about him?" said a rather familiar voice she'd grown to know oh so well.

She turned around to see Yusuke with the lingering effects of being pissed at Koenma on his face. Undoing the veil, she pulled the hood back and just stared at him.

"If you're here to lecture me, don't. I have a feeling you suck at things like that."

"Yeah, you're probably right about sucking at lectures. But, I'm not here for that." He paused and shifted about. "I just got told by diaper lad that whatever those hooded weirdoes want from you or want you for that you should go with 'em."

Somewhat shocked at the information she received, she tilted her head to the side slightly. After blinking a few times, she removed the black ensemble completely and tossed it to the bed.

"And what else?" she asked him sternly.

"Huh?"

"You're still here. Something else I need to know?"

Yusuke didn't say anything.

Hatsune smiled and held back obvious giggles.

"What the hell's so funny?"

"It's cute that you care."

His jaw dropped and Yusuke immediately flew to the defensive side of things. He jumped forward and looked down, meeting her eyes.

"I didn't say that!"

"You don't have to. I know you're gonna miss me since you've grown attached to me and all. That's what we girls call cute." Her smile still shined through as Yusuke's frustration grew. He flung his arms up in mock surrender and he left the room.

"Guess I don't need a week for my decision…" she told herself. She gathered a few things that she wanted to bring and prepped for a nice, long bath. She didn't figure she would get too many of those in the land of the Maiyugubi.

Post-shower and fully dressed, she threw her things into a bag, just incase someone happened to show up early. Lazily walking over to her bed, she fell back into it and sighed. She wasn't thrilled at the idea of going off to Mage Land for an unmentioned amount of time. On top of that, Koenma was encouraging- no, demanding that she go. She hoped it was for the purpose of the alliances. Sinking deeper into thought, she began to drift into sleep as her door was flung open and hit the wall with a potent thud. She bolted up and looked over. Yusuke was standing at the door.

"Conference time. Move it."

He left and she bolted after him since she knew he wasn't in a good mood since the 'cute' incident occurred not even an hour ago. Both walked into the room full of people at the same time and resumed normal seats. Hatsune gazed upon the advisory council of Lord Yomi.

_"A bit forward aren't they?" she asked herself._

"Let's get this over with, Yomi," Yusuke announced gruffly. His bitter mood was forward and apparent to the entire crowd of people.

"Don't be so rash, Yusuke," Yomi began. His posture was forward and stable, his demeanor calm, collected, hidden from all. His council reflected the same feel though Kurama's facial expression was more stoic than the others who had a small glint of amusement playing on their lips.

Yusuke tapped the table impatiently as he waited for Yomi to announce his sudden arrival in Tourin.

"Our meeting was cut short and I and my council still have some questions that require answers," he revealed.

"Well hurry it up 'cause I got better things to be doin' right now!"

Hatsune looked at him with an expression of disapproval but made a smart comment none-the-less.

"You mean crying in your room right?"

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**Author's Note:** Sorry this update took a while and sorry that it's not any longer than what it is, but I'm waiting for my clothes to dry and they're about done, sooooo yeah. Anyway, R&R, suggestions or constructive criticism would be appreciated. Don't ruin my day- it's still a happy day since I haven't gone to sleep yet. I made my school's marching band, woo hoo!


	4. The Little Things

**Charm in War**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho albeit I do own Hatsune, Kuraiya, Rahvanna, the entire Maiyugubi and Nittanuya clans and whatever else isn't YYH related.

Summary: Sequel to _Sweetheart and Enemy_. While training and taking the time to discover her true origins, Hatsune encounters the reason for turmoil in the Makai. KuramaxOCxYusuke

**Chapter Four: The Little Things**

* * *

"Well hurry it up 'cause I got better things to be doin' right now!"

Hatsune looked at him with an expression of disapproval but made a smart comment none-the-less.

"You mean crying in your room right?"

His head bolted over in her general direction and he shot a glare at her, which she happened to return. Hokushin, calm yet nervous, stepped in front of the two kids as he tried to pry answers from Lord Yomi and his entourage.

Behind all of the talking, Yusuke and Hatsune were whispering their argument.

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked him.

"What's yours?"

"I asked you first…" she mumbled even lower. "You've been a jerk since I got here, damn it!"

"Haven't!"

She paused for a moment when something obvious occurred to her. "Why are we whispering? They can hear us anyway."

"How the hell should I know?" Yusuke yelled his reply causing the entire room to look at him.

All Hatsune did was shake her head and walk out of the room. Upon entering her room, she made sure the last of what she thought she needed was securely packed and at the foot of her bed. She sat on the adjacent edge that faced the door and in a few seconds she fell back onto the bed in an attempt to relax. This area was all stress to her, but it shouldn't be- it was just the little things that were getting to her.

"Fab-u-freakin-lous…"

A knock came from her door and it began to slowly open. The tip of a red lock stuck out and she knew who it was and why he was there. Without word he joined her on the bed, both staring up at the ceiling that was rather bland. Silence refilled the room and it remained that way for a while.

"You know you do not have to go."

"I know that, but it might not be a bad idea."

His hand quietly and gently snaked its way over to hers. With fingers interlaced, both just let the silence overcome the room again. Rolling onto his side and leaning over, he gently placed a kiss on her cheek.

After that, Kurama left.

A lone tear rolled down her face as she cast her eyes down toward the floor. She grabbed her stuff, wiped the tear away and left the room. She would find her way back herself or she would catch the attention of someone in the Maiyugubi in order to obtain an escort back. Without a formal goodbye or last minute notes from Yusuke, Hokushin or Koenma, Hatsune left the grounds of Tourin and headed into the forests that surrounded the lands.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry that this is un-Godly short, but it's a transition into the bulk of the story, so bear with me. And, sorry for the time between updates! I have more homework than I thought I would have.


	5. It's All About Learning

**Charm in War**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho albeit I do own Hatsune, Kuraiya, Rahvanna, the entire Maiyugubi and Nittanuya clans and whatever else isn't YYH related.

Summary: Sequel to _Sweetheart and Enemy_. While training and taking the time to discover her true origins, Hatsune encounters the reason for turmoil in the Makai. KuramaxOCxYusuke

**Chapter Five: It's All About Learning**

* * *

Upon entering the forest, Hatsune braced herself for a travel with a seemingly unknown path. Winding her way deeper into the forest, she encountered a fork in the path. Looking at both, she decided right and off she went. Bristling in the forest caught her attention and she halted. There was a possibility of a demon attacking her, so she wanted to be sure of the potential creature's presence before continuing.

"Show yourself," she commanded.

From the brush came the mage who previously escorted her- Tatsuza. "I mean you no harm. We will be walking to our Land so you can learn the way. Follow me." He took the lead and they continued one their path in silence for quite some time.

Roughly hours later, they arrived on the outskirts of the fair land. It wasn't as desolate or dull as Hatune's previous experience, but it held a very stationery feel. At this point, Tatsuza began to talk to her. He explained some of the basic training options and how long they make take depending on her initial exams.

"You will be lead directly to the examination room. There you will be tested on knowledge, strength, stamina, control and other things related to the Elders, none of which I know. These are your assessments tests so your trainers know where to properly start your training."

Hatsune nodded and followed Tatsuza up the stairs into a new building that she assumed was her exam building. When fully entered, she noticed that it was one big room and there were six people there. He left her there to be assessed. She looked about and took more steps closer to the six. She knew three as the Elders, but the others were not familiar to her.  
"Greetings, young one. Please sit," announced a person of unfamiliarity.

She did so and listened to his introductory speech about the explanation of the exam process. After the few minute talk, he laid a written portion in front of her. It was knowledge that was up first and her time limit was ten minutes.

After hours of testing, Hatsune finally finished all parts of her exam. Without knowing her results, the six released her into the care of Tatsuza who escorted her to a new building not far from where she currently was. Her sleeping quarters were located here and she had a private room to herself.

"If there is anything you need, I will be at the end of the hall on the left." With that note, he left her for the night.  
She dropped her belongings and headed straight for the small bathroom that was part of her private room. She showered off the grime and dried sweat of the day first before relaxing into a warm bath. The water helped soothe some of her aches and take her mind of the exams she just took.

After the shower, she threw on a robe and sat at the desk next to her bed. She pulled the book from her bag and read some more of it. She knew the knowledge portion might not be the best since she had not completed reading the book Koenma loaned her. She began reading the rest of the book since she knew she had nothing for the rest of the night.  
In the early morning, Hatsune was shaken awake by Tatsuza. She had fallen asleep on her desk while reading.

"The trainers and Elders request your presence at the banquet hall in half an hour. You will eat then begin your training. I will be back in twenty minutes." With that, he gently walked out of the room.

Hatsune grumbled and threw on some comfortable clothes. With her hair thrown back into a tie and everything seeming to be okay, she walked outside her room and waited on Tatsuza. Upon his arrival she nodded and followed him to the banquet hall. This could be a potentially long day.

* * *

On the grounds of Tourin, Yusuke and Hokushin were ordering repairs around the land for the recent ambush of lower class demons. They managed to damage a wall on the south side, but it was nothing major- just superficial.

"Damn, Hokushin, what's it with all of these things poppin' outta nowhere?" Yusuke asked him sternly. He wasn't thrilled about random attacks since he didn't truly know if it was random or orchestrated.

Hokushin looked at Yusuke directly but offered no solid answer. "I have ordered guards to patrol the grounds at all times in order to try to stop a brigade of attacks or at least spot them sooner. I'm sorry I don't have more than that for you."

Yusuke brushed it off and decided to forget about it as he walked in the general direction of the damage. He supervised the exterior repairs, but was hardly amused or thrilled by the skill of the monks working. They were slow, lazy and unmotivated. That change had recently occurred, but no one knew why the sudden slow down had taken over the Land. Lord Raizen was very weak, but he was still alive, so that was not it.

* * *

"Yuda," called Yomi. He listened to the pit-pat of Yuda's feet as he came toward him. "What information have you been able to find out about the current uproar of the demon realm?" By this statement, Yomi was clearly asking him about Hatsune and her unknown origins. Her display of power clearly intrigued him and he was hungry for answers that pertained to her and her history.

"Well, my Lord," Yuda began. He explained of the two only known clans of mages. He began explaining their system and structure of life. In addition, he made remarks about their powers and physical restraints as well as their culture and the rivalry between the clans. He noticed that he indeed had the Lord's undivided attention in the matter and carried on his explanation. When finished with his rather vast and impressive amount of knowledge, Yomi nodded in approval.

"Very good," was all that Yomi stated. He was obviously processing all of this and a small smile tugged at the side of his lips. He deeply appreciated the information and thought it might be leverage over the girl and the land of Tourin. He would wait until her return though, however long that may be. He had a spy on Koenma and his orders pertaining to Yusuke and his land as well as Hatsune and her general whereabouts. He could not and would not risk sending one of his own to personally follow her as he didn't want an unknown wrath and power to deal with- at least not yet. His plan wasn't complete or solid, but it was in the making. That was for certain.

* * *

After breakfast and a general briefing, Hatsune began the physical training. The basic running, stretching, lifting, and all the general warm-ups were taken care of before she was ordered to take the defense on anything that came her way. No fighting back or running- stand your ground and advance through anything. When the attacks began they were hard and heavy, unpredictable and painful, but she gave it her all until a surprise caught her off guard.

Over the last month, Yusuke grew incredibly impatient with everything and everyone. When Koenma called to check up on him and the general state of the region, they argued from beginning to end. Hokushin was not much consolation to Yusuke at that time. Nothing seemed to settle the young boy's wracked nerves. It pissed him off to not know why he was such a mess and he unfortunately let it out on everyone who interacted with him though those numbers were slowly dwindling.

"_Ugh, what the hell!?"_ he asked himself mentally. He paced in the meeting room, his hand crossed behind his back as he did so. His frustration grew more and he just about had enough of that room. He stormed out and had his mind set on going outside and walking about the grounds. He headed more toward the outskirts and continued his line of frustration there since he felt that he had more room to breathe and vent at the same time. During his sporadic movements, he noticed a small black dot in the distance.

"Damn, not another one of those rat bastards." He walked in the direction of the dot that grew larger and larger. It was no longer a dot in his eyes. A person's general figure became clearer and he became more on the alert side. He sensed no demonic or spirit energy. The figure, whoever it was, was an unmarked opponent- very dangerous in the eyes of the commanding leader of Tourin.

"Hey!" Yusuke yelled. He was a few hundred feet from the potential opponent. "I don't know or care who the hell you are but state your damn name and business before I do some ass kickin'."

The figure unveiled its face and smiled. "My, you sure do know how to treat a girl, Yusuke," said Hatsune.

Yusuke said nothing. There was a chance that at that moment, he felt nothing too. He whipped around and bolted back to Tourin. Disgust, shock, and joy all ran through him at the same time.

"I'll meet you there, then," Hatsune said as she cloaked herself and teleported to Tourin. She and Yusuke arrived about the same time. She followed him in and removed her hood and veil. The faces that saw her went from sad and miserable to light-hearted and joyful. Some of them now felt that there might be more peace in the building since she came back.  
Both ended up in the conference room and the call to Koenma was already placed. He was already thoroughly annoyed but when he too saw Hatsune, he lightened up.  
"Good to see you made it out alive, Hatsune. Job well done," Koenma stated.

"Yeah, no kidding," she mumbled. It was by no means easy in any sense of the word.

"Well, I have an announcement, and I realize that it is indeed very short notice for the two of you, but Lords Yomi and Mukuro have requested a meeting with the both of you and me in Spirit World tomorrow afternoon. It's Lords and second-in-commands only, but since you two seem to be the rule breakers, you will be the acting personnel of each title. Of course, Hokushin is welcomed to escort you, but he will not be a part of the meeting."

Yusuke and Hatsune looked at each other with tired eye. Both just nodded. It wasn't like there was much of an option, so they might as well go along with it. Hell, it probably was just more questions, so who the hell cared anyway.

"Now, both of you get some rest. You look exhausted," Koenma kindly said as he disconnected his signal.

"This is the one time I will listen to him in entirety. Good night," Hatsune tiredly stated as he headed for her room.

"Hold on a minute, Princess of the Night," Yusuke said in reference to her dark outfit.

She stopped and turned around; her attention was on him.

"Your room is a hot mess. We had a few ambushes."

"Okay, so where am I gonna shower and sleep then?" she asked lazily. "I'm not aware that there are spare rooms outside the south end."

"You're right. So you're gonna be in my room sleepin' the night away. Move it, Missy," he stated seriously- no smile, no games.

She raised an eyebrow for an obvious reason and to silently state a question.

"I won't do anything. Promise."

With that, she left to go up to his sleeping quarters. She entered, dropped her stuff, threw off her cloak, and headed straight for the shower. Not but seven minutes later, she was clean and somewhat relaxed. She looked into an almost completely foggy mirror and still saw her features pretty sharply. One thing she gained through her training was her own personal restraints. They appeared to be tattoos to the normal eye. There was one on her face, her left collarbone, right shoulder black, lower back, a small one on the last two ribs on her left cage, one on her right thigh, left ankle and right foot and left wrist. They were different symbols, shapes and colors, but they could all easily go away if she willed them to. Tiredness conquered at the moment, so she chose to reserve energy and let them show. She wrapped her towel tightly around her and walked out. She rummaged through her bag to find some decent pajamas. Quickly throwing them on, she threw the towel to the side and plopped onto the bed ungracefully and without care. Releasing a deep sigh, she relaxed into the mattress more and grabbed a pillow so she could hug it. Everything was comfortable and smooth to the touch; it was welcoming.

A small upset to the calmness of the room occurred but Hatsune didn't roll over to see what it was. She felt her torso being moved from the cold bed toward a warm body. A nearly inaudible protest was sounded, but clearly ignored by the other party.

"Relax," was all he said.

Eventually both she and he fell asleep and the rest of the night, to anyone's knowledge, was generally peaceful.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh my gosh, I am completely sorry. I swear I didn't forget or abandon this! This is my third time writing this chapter since my laptop keeps eating my copies!!! GR! Originally I was on top of all this even with college work. Promise. I'm gonna make sure chapter six doesn't get eaten.


End file.
